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Choose the perfect plastic travel companion.
If you love to travel, there’s a credit card that’ll take you around the world. Travel cards can get you deals on flights, TSA precheck and even entry to premium airport lounges. However, watch out for high annual fees.
Find the right travel credit card
Just two clicks gets you our recommendation.
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Best for luxury travel: The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
Enjoy Uber VIP status and free rides in the U.S. up to $15 each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings.
5x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.
5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
Enjoy access to the Global Lounge Collection, the only credit card airport lounge access program that includes proprietary lounge locations around the world.
Receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts. Learn more.
$200 airline fee credit, up to $200 per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline.
Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
See Rates & Fees The Platinum Card® from American Express is the card of choice if you like to travel in style. It offers a market-leading rewards rate on eligible flights and hotels, so it’s designed for the frequent traveler.
Welcome offer: 60,000 Membership Rewards Points. To earn them, make $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of card membership.
Rewards: A stellar rate on eligible travel. Earn 5x points on eligible flights and hotels. Earn 1x points on all other eligible purchases.
Fee credits. You’ll receive a $200 airline fee credit per calendar year, up to $200 in annual Uber credits and a statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years.
The premium travel perks. Get complimentary access to more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world, including the best-in-class Centurion Lounges.
Get a complimentary upgrade to Gold status with Starwood Preferred Guest and Hilton Honors. At select hotels you’ll get additional perks, including late checkout, complimentary Wi-Fi, expense credits and more.
Annual fee: $550. It’s priced higher than even most premium cards. A typical price for a luxury credit card is $450.
You must pay your balance in full each month. This is a charge card, rather than a standard credit card. American Express may eventually invite you to use its Pay Over Time feature, which allows you to carry a balance for certain purchases.
Best for flexible rewards: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Named "Best Premium Travel Credit Card" for 2018 by MONEY® Magazine
$300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year
3x points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3x points on dining at restaurants and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. $0 foreign transaction fees.
Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Access to 1,000+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select
Up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®
Chase Ultimate Rewards is a powerhouse redemption hub, making this the go-to product for flexible rewards. You can trade your points for travel, gift cards, cash back, experiences and Amazon purchases.
Rewards: Up to 3x points. After you spend your first $300 covered by the annual travel credit in a card year, you’ll start earning 3x points on eligible travel. Earn 3x points on eligible dining at restaurants and 1x points on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for 50% more when used to purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can also transfer points to select airline and hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio.
Signup bonus: 50,000 bonus points. To earn them, make $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Up to $300 in annual travel credit. You’ll receive this credit every card year.
Premium travel perks. Get a credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, complimentary airport lounge access and special benefits at properties in The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.
Annual fee: $450. This card comes with a high price, but it has many benefits that could help offset the fee.
Best for flat-rate rewards: Venture® from Capital One®
Capital One offers two unique perks that set it apart: 10x miles on eligible Hotels.com bookings and a fee credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application.
Annual fee: $0 for the first year. After that, you’ll pay $95 a year to keep the card.
Signup bonus: 50,000 bonus miles. To earn it, spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Rewards: Up to 10x miles. Earn unlimited 2x miles on all purchases. This is great if you don’t want to keep track of rewards categories. You’ll also receive 10x miles on eligible Hotels.com bookings. This is an unheard-of rate.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit. You’ll receive a credit of up to $100 when you pay for the fee with your card.
Annual fee: $95 starting the second year.
No intro APR for balance transfers. If you’re on the hunt for an intro APR, the Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard® offers one.
Best for hotels: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Generous welcome offer
Earn points on travel purchases
Annual SPG and Marriott Rewards statement credit and Free Night Award
See Rates & FeesThis product fares very well against its hotel-card competition. It’s not cheap, but it offers excellent perks like travel credits, a reward night each year, a fee credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application.
Welcome offer: 100,000 bonus points. To earn them, make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.
Rewards: Up to 6x points. On eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties, you’ll earn 6x points. At US restaurants and on eligible flights, you’ll earn 3x points. Earn 2x points on all other purchases.
$300 in Marriott Bonvoy statement credit and annual Free Night Award. Valuable perks that largely offset the card’s annual fee. Use the statement credit for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Get the annual Free Night Award every card year.
Complimentary upgrade to Gold Elite status in the Marriott Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program and travel benefits. Receive Gold Elite benefits like late checkout and room upgrades when they are available.
Enjoy additional great perks like a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit and access to Priority Pass Select lounges.
Annual fee: $450. It’s a steep price, but you may find that the benefits make the fee worth paying.
Watch the normal APR. Depending on your credit, you may receive a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 26.99% variable.
Best for luxury travel perks with no annual fee: PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express® Card
PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express® Card
0% APR promo balance transfer rate for 12 months with 3% balance transfer fee now through March 31, 2019. After that, the APR for the unpaid balance and any new balance transfers will be 12.99% to 17.99%. APR will vary with the market based on prime rate. Subject to credit approval.
Earn 25,000 bonus points by spending $2,500 in the first 90 days of account opening.
Earn 4x points on travel purchases through the PenFed Honors Advantage program. Earn 3x points on travel purchases for all other card holders.
Earn 1.5x points on all other purchases unrelated to travel.
$100 annual air travel credit
$100 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck benefit every 5 years
No caps or limits on rewards. No annual or foreign transaction fees.
Chip enabled for added security.
Variable rate as low as 12.99% APR. Rate and offers current as of February 1, 2019 and are subject to change.
It’s a wonder that PenFed doesn’t charge an annual fee for this card. You’ll find a good signup bonus, an excellent rewards rate on travel and more.
Annual fee: None. You’ll find tremendous value here for no annual fee.
$100 annual air travel credit and $100 TSA application fee credit. The air travel credit can be used for lounge access, onboard food and beverages, baggage fees and more. Use your card to pay for your TSA application and receive the $100 statement credit.
Welcome offer: 25,000 bonus points. Earn 25,000 bonus points when you spend $2,500 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
Rewards: Up to 4x points. Earn 3x points on eligible travel purchases. If you’re a PenFed Honors Advantage member, you’ll bump that up to a fantastic 4x points. On all other purchases, you’ll earn 1.5x points.
Penalty APR. If PenFed doesn’t receive your minimum payment within 60 days, it may assess a penalty APR of 17.99% variable to all of your balances.
Best for rewards with no annual fee: Uber Visa Card
If you’re always on the move, the Uber Visa Card is for you. It’s a strong card for travel, with accelerated cash back on hotel, airfare and dining purchases. That’s the perfect combination for a frequent traveler.
Rewards: Up to 4% cash back. Earn 4% cash back on dining, and an excellent 3% rate on hotels and airfare.
Earn 2% cash back for online purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases.
Signup bonus valued at $100. To earn it, spend $500 on purchases within 90 days of your account opening.
Mobile phone protection. When you pay your cell phone bill with your card, you’ll receive up to $600 in protection against damage and loss for your phone.
$50 credit for online subscription services after you spend $5,000 or more per card year. Use this credit for eligible shopping, video and digital music subscription services.
Potentially high APR. Depending on your credit, you may receive a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 25.99% variable.
Best for a welcome offer with no annual fee: Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
Accelerated rewards on gas, dining and travel
Rewards on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Apple Music
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card is a top-notch travel card, with an excellent rewards rate on eligible travel, dining and other categories. For a no-annual-fee card, it also has a stellar welcome offer.
Rewards: Up to 3x points. Earn 3x points on dining, eligible transportation spending like gas, flights, hotels and popular streaming services. Earn 1x points on all other eligible purchases.
Welcome offer: 30,000 bonus points. To earn them, spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership. According to Wells Fargo as of December 2018, the welcome offer is worth $300 — a market-leading value for a no-annual-fee card.
Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months following your account opening, then a variable 14.74% to 27.24%. A great intro APR for a travel card — especially since you get it for purchases and balance transfers.
Annual fee: None.
High APR range. If you have poor credit, you may receive a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 27.24% variable.
A travel credit card offers higher rewards for travel purchases — typically points or miles, but sometimes cash back. It usually comes with no foreign transaction fees and travel benefits.
Points or miles can typically be redeemed for rewards such as hotel stays, airfare, car rentals and statement credit.
Travel cards offer a variety of perks, and you get what you pay for: No-annual-fee cards tend to offer fewer high-class benefits than annual-fee products.
Here are a few travel benefits you might find with a travel card …
Airport lounge access.
Fee credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application.
Travel credits that cover your expenses for eligible purchases.
Airline perks like priority boarding and complimentary checked baggage.
Hotel perks like spending credits and room upgrades.
Hotel or airline loyalty program status upgrades.
Travel coverage: trip cancellation insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, lost luggage reimbursement and more.
Travel concierge service.
The 3 types of travel credit cards
Flexible-currency credit card. Some cards offer rewards to be redeemed at select hotels or airlines. Flexible-currency cards let you spend on travel of your choice.
Airline credit card. This type of card is affiliated with a specific airline. You’ll earn elevated rewards when you spend with the co-branded company, and you can typically redeem your rewards only through the airline or its partners. You’ll usually receive airline-specific perks that you won’t find with other cards, such as priority boarding and complimentary checked luggage. If you don’t want to be tied to a certain airline, a flexible-currency card might be a better choice.
Hotel credit card. This type of card is co-branded with a specific hotel chain. You’ll earn elevated rewards when you spend with the chain, and you can usually redeem them through the affiliated company or its partners. Typically, you’ll find hotel-specific benefits such as loyalty-program upgrades and free-night awards. Like with airline credit cards, pick a hotel credit card if you stay frequently with a particular chain. Otherwise, consider a flexible-reward card.
Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Welcome offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you make $1,000 in purchases with your card within 3 months of your account opening.
Annual fee: $0 for the first year, then $95.
Miles: 2 miles per $1 on Delta purchases, 1 mile per $1 on other eligible purchases.
Benefits
Priority boarding.
First checked bag free.
No foreign transaction fees.
United℠ Explorer Card
Intro offer: Get 40,000 miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus earn an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you spend $10,000 total on purchases in the first 6 months.
Annual fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
Miles: 2 miles per $1 on all ticket purchases, 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
Benefits
Priority boarding.
One free checked bag.
No foreign transaction fees.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Intro offer: Get 40,000 miles and a companion pass after you spend your first $1,000 on purchases within 3 months of opening your account.
Annual fee: $99
Miles: 2 miles per $1 on all southwest purchases and at participating hotels and car rental agencies, 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
Benefits
No foreign transaction fees
Companion pass status after earning 110,000 points or completing 100 one-way flights (companion pass status allows you to bring a guest on your Southwest flight at no additional charge).
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
Introoffer: Get 50,000 miles after you spend your first $2,500 within 3 months of opening your account.
Annual fee: $99 (waived for the first year)
Miles: 2 miles per $1 on all American Airlines purchases, 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
Benefits
One free checked bag for you and up to four other people on your reservation.
Priority boarding.
Discounts on in-flight food and beverages.
British Airways Visa Signature® Card
Intro offer: Get 50,000 Avios (British Airways club currency) after you spend your first $3,000 on purchases within 3 months of opening your account. Earn an additional 25,000 Avios when you spend $10,000 and another 25,000 when you spend $20,000 in the first year, for a total possibility of 100,000 Avios.
Annual fee: $95.
Avios: 3 avios per $1 on all British Airlines purchases, 1 avios per $1 on all other purchases.
Benefits
No foreign transaction fees,
Travel Together Ticket after spending $30,000 in one year (a Travel Together Ticket allows you to bring a guest on your British Airways flight at no additional charge).
How do you get the most rewards out of a cashback credit card?
Among rewards credit cards, cashback cards are probably the easiest to figure out. Points and miles cards can be a fantastic resource to help finance your travel, but in order to get the most out of airline miles and hotel points, you have to learn how to maximize them. And that involves a learning curve, which can be a bit steep, sometimes.
Cashback cards, on the other hand, are easy to figure out. The issuers use very simple terms, like percentage (1%, 1.5%, 2% or more) or 1x, 1.5x, 2x et cetera. So if you charge $100 on a 1% or 1x card, you know you’re getting $1 cash back. No surprises.
So to get the most rewards out of a cashback credit card, you need to choose the card with a higher payoff. One percent cards are not exciting anymore, so you’ll want to look at cards with at least 2%, and sometimes you can even get a 3% (or 3x) card, although the latter tend to have a limited time term or an annual fee.
There is a subset of cashback credit cards that offer quarterly 5% category bonuses. They are slightly more complicated than fixed-rate cashback cards, but they can be very rewarding if you’re willing to delay your purchases until the 5% category you want is up. However, if your goal is absolute simplicity and you don’t want to remember which card to use for what purchases, just use a fixed-rate cashback credit card for the peace of mind.
Tim and Amy Rutherford
gowithless.com
Award Travel Professionals
Is there anything you should avoid when choosing a cashback card?
Avoid the temptation to sign up for a cashback card without reading the fine print. Is there a maximum earning potential allowed in any category? Are there complex redemption requirements? Are there annual fees that erode your savings? Look at all of the details and understand the options. It’s possible to get a no-annual-fee card that provides a 2% return on unlimited spending. This may be better than a card that earns 6% on dining with a limitation of $6,000 in spending and an annual fee.
Eric Rosenberg
personalprofitability.com
Personal Finance Expert
Should I get a cashback card with tiered rewards or a flat rate for all purchases?
Both types of cards work well, it just depends on your spending habits and preferences. If you are willing to keep track of bonus categories and use the right cards for each purchase, you can get big rewards from categories that go up to 5% cash back or 5 points per dollar spent. However, that is a lot to remember for some people. If that sounds too tough to keep track, you can get some great rewards from flat-rate cards as well.
Think about whether you want to pay an annual fee. This is an easy starting point when choosing between travel cards. Annual-fee cards tend to have better signup bonuses and more features — but you might not like paying for them. An annual fee doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker, but it can help you narrow your options.
Consider where you spend the most money. Round up your expenses and see which categories you spend the most money in. Common categories include travel, dining, groceries and gas. If you find yourself spending heavily in certain categories, look for cards that offer elevated rewards for those categories. For more evenly distributed buying, you might get more out of a flat-rate rewards card.
Consider which travel perks you want. You’ll usually find the most perks with hotel and airline cards, as well as premium cards with high annual fees. Consider which benefits you can and can’t live without — this will help you narrow your choices further.
By following these steps, you should have a much better idea of what type of travel card you’re looking for.
Find the right travel credit card
Just two clicks gets you our recommendation.
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Still deciding? Here are additional factors to compare
Airline or hotel loyalty. If you spend heavily with a certain airline or hotel chain, consider a co-branded card. Otherwise, pick a flexible-rewards card so you can earn rewards regardless of which airline or hotel you spend with.
Signup bonus. Many travel cards offer a signup bonus to new cardholders who spend a certain amount on purchases within the first few months. An airline-card bonus may offer enough rewards for a flight. Hotel-card bonuses can potentially give you reward nights.
Foreign transaction fees. Many credit cards charge a fee when you make purchases in currency other than US dollars — typically 3% of the transaction. These fees apply whether you’re traveling overseas or just using an online store based outside the US. To avoid them, look for a credit card with 0% foreign transaction fees.
Beyond the welcome offer itself, consider whether you can meet the spending requirement to earn the bonus. Don’t get in over your head. Choose a credit card only if you currently spend enough money each month to meet the requirement.
How to maximize your travel rewards
Once you’ve been approved for the travel card of your choice, use these tips to maximize your rewards.
1. Earn the signup bonus. If you want more rewards, consider a card that offers a signup bonus. Then, tailor your spending so you earn the bonus. That may mean using the card for everything you possibly can during the bonus qualifying period.
2. Maximize your reward earnings.
If your travel card pays more rewards on certain types of purchases, use it for those purchases as much as possible. For example, if your card pays double points on restaurant purchases, use it every time you dine out. For categories that your card doesn’t offer elevated rewards for, consider using a flat-rate rewards card.
You may like booking travel through websites like Expedia or Orbitz. However, some travel cards don’t offer elevated rewards for spending on these sites. Check your card’s terms to be sure, or get a credit card offered by your favorite booking site, like the Expedia® Rewards CARD from Citi or the Orbitz Rewards® Visa Card.
As you earn more miles for your airline’s frequent flyer program or points with your hotel’s loyalty program, you’ll get closer to higher elite status. With many programs, customers in higher status tiers earn mileage or point bonuses.
3. Get the highest value for your rewards. The credit card industry generally values a point or mile at one cent apiece, but your rewards might be worth more or less depending on what you redeem them for. To see whether you’re getting a good deal on reward redemptions, do some quick math in your card’s rewards center. Divide the value of the redemption by how many points or miles you must spend. For example:
If you want a $25 gift card and it costs 2,500 points to get it, your points are worth $25/2,500 = 1 cent each.
But if the same gift card costs 3,000 points, your points are worth $25/3,000 = 0.8 cents each.
The higher redemption rate you can get on your rewards, the better.
While earning travel rewards appeals to those with a bit of wanderlust, a travel credit card isn’t for everyone. Consider a travel product if:
You have good to excellent credit. Credit card issuers give the best cards those with a history of paying their bills on time and managing debt responsibly. If you don’t have a great credit score, work on improving your credit before you apply for a travel card.
You pay your balance in full each month. As with any rewards product, paying your balance in full is the best way to get the full benefit of your travel card. This is especially the case if the card has an annual fee. Carrying a balance means accruing interest that can offset your rewards.
You frequent one airline or hotel chain. Airline and hotel cards can heavily reward you if you’re a loyal customer. Hotel cards in particular usually offer much better rewards than you’d earn with general travel cards.
You have the patience to get the most value out of your rewards. With travel cards, you won’t know the true value of your points or miles until you redeem them. To get maximum value from them, you’ll need to crunch the numbers yourself or do some research into reward values.
If you consider yourself a jet-setter, you could get a lot from a travel card. There are a variety of options for whatever you’re looking for.
Before you start your search, consider whether you want to pay an annual fee, what you typically spend on and which travel benefits you’re looking for. Take your time to compare different products, and you’ll likely find a card that’s perfect for you.
No. You’ll only earn rewards for eligible purchases.
No. You’ll find a significant number of no-annual-fee travel cards. For the best rewards and benefits, however, you’ll need to pay an annual fee — typically $95 and up.
For flexible-currency cards, your rewards generally don’t expire. Rewards are more likely to expire for hotel and airline cards.
Through spending on everyday purchases and at airlines, you can earn free flights and exclusive airline perks with these best travel rewards credit cards.
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